Self-locking hinge



Oct. 16, 1951 P, H, DURUP 2,571,430

SELF-LOCKING HINGE Filed April 25, 1950 /6 2 1@ 30, H Ek i I* 2@ V f l y Patented Oct. 16, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SELF-LOCKING HINGE Paul H. Durup, Wollaston, Mass.

Application April 25, 1950, Serial No. 158,001

1 Claim.

This invention .relates to an improved hinge of the self-locking type including two at hinge sections which are pivotally attached to one another and are adapted to be secured between the edge of a door and an adjacent edge of a door frame or jamb, and in a closed position yieldably securing the door without the need for latches or other locking means.

In self-locking hinge devices heretofore proposed, objections arise, either for the reason that the additional parts required for the locking action add too greatly to the cost of manufacture; that such devices, or the additional locking parts, are difficult to install; or that they are cumbersome to operate or are susceptible to getting out of order and require expensive repairs.

The present invention has for its object the provision of an improved self-locking hinge in which these objections are avoided, or are substantially eliminated, and in which a simple, cheap, and efficient locking means is, nonetheless, provided for in the hinge body. It is also an object of the invention to devise an improved self-locking hinge construction in which the locking means form an integral part of the hinge body whereby simplied forming operations, using a single forming tool, may be carried out to quickly and accurately form all parts of the hinge and its locking mechanism in a single operation. It is also an object of the invention to design a hinge body with interlocking tongue members integral with the body of the hinge and so supported as to provide for a unique manner of flexing, whereby wear or deterioration of the tongue elements, even over long periods of use, may be largely prevented.

These and other objects and novel features will be more fully understood and appreciated from the following description of a preferred embodiment of the invention selected for purposes of illustration and shown in the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. 1 is an elevational view showing a door pivotally secured in a door frame by means of the hinge of the invention;

Fig. 2 is another elevational view fragmentarily indicating the door jamb and door with the hinge swung into a fully open position.

Fig. 3 is another view of the hinge member of the invention removed from the door and 2 lustrating a door and door jamb with the hinge mechanism in a partially closed position, and indicating one position of engagement of interlocking tongue members in the hinge mechanism;

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 5 illustrating a dead center position assumed by the interlocking tongues as the hinge sections are brought into a nearly closed position;

Fig. '7 is a view similar to Figs. 5 and 6 and illustrates the interlocking tongues after they have passed over a dead center position with the hinge sections in a fully closed position;

Fig. 8 is an enlarged detailed view also showing the relative position of the interlocking tongues when in a fully engaged position; .l

Fig. 9 is a cross-section taken on the line 9'-9 of Fig. 6; and

Fig. 10 is a detailed cross-sectional view illustrating a slightly modied arrangement of the hinge mechanism in which the hinge sections are arranged to be swung into contact with one another.

Referring in detail to the structure shown in the drawings, numeral I0 denotes a door jamb or frame in which is pivotally supported a door I2 having an outer handle or knob I4. The door I2 may, in one preferred embodiment of the invention, be of a form such as is commonly employed in cabinets, for example kitchen cabinets, or various other types of small closets and containers where a simple self-locking hinge mechanism is desired to provide for a rapidand simple closing. The invention, however, is not intended to be limited to any particular form of door and may, in some instances, be made in sizes and proportions suitable for supporting ordinary doors as used at any point in dwelling houses and other structures.

The hinge mechanism includes two at hinge sections I6 and I8 which are formed with usual holes for receiving screws therethrough and which, in one preferred form of the invention, are constructed with interlocking tubular eX- tensions 20 and 22 secured together in pivoted relation by a locking pin 24 in the usual manner.

As is suggested in Figs. 2, 3 and 4, the two hinge sections I6 and I8 are preferably located in a recessed manner in respective edges of the door jamb I 0 and door I2, screws 25 being employed to solidly fasten the hinge sections in place. It will be observed that in this recessed position the two hinge sections are adapted to be swung into parallel relation to one another such that they are spaced apart a distance approximately corresponding to the diameter of the tubular extensions and 22. It is evident that by thus recessing the hinge sections the parallel spaced relation of the sections, when closed, can be achieved with the edges of the door and door Jamb being located in proper relative position to one another.

In accordance with the preferred embodiment of the invention, the spacing between the hinge sections, when the latter are swung into a normal closed position, is utilized to allow for engagement of locking means which are formed integrally with the hinge sections. The locking means comprise a pair of interlocking tongue elements 26 and 28, each of which are formed integrally with a respective hinge section and which extend or project out of the plane of its respective section in opposed relation to one another, as shown 2, 3 and 4.

The tongue elements 26 and 28 are located at points intermediate the edges of the respective hinge sections I6 and I8 and are further provided at .their outer extremities with cam surfaces 26a and 28a, more clearly shown in Fig. 8. These cam surfaces include opposed projections h and 28h which are adapted to engage against one another during opening and closing Vof the hinge sections.

The lengths of the tongue elements are chosen such that in the position assumed by these members with the hinge sections in closed parallel relationship, as described above, the .cam surfaces 26a and 28a. may engage with one another and the corresponding cam projections 26D and 23h will extend lbeyond a position of dead center and will yieldably lock against one another.

It is important in providing locking means of the general character utilized here that the locking members be supported in a manner such that they will resist wear and deformation when subjected to continuous contact with one another over extended periods of use in order to ensure a permanently maintained locking action.

To satisfy these conditions I have vdevised an integral hinge section and tongue arrangement whereby the tongue may be rigidly supported in the required operative position and may be moved out of this position Without itself being materially flexed or bent. I achieve this result by so forming the hinge section that portions of the hinge adjoining its respective locking tongue may be flexed out of its own plane, in a slight degree, thus enabling the outer extremity of the tongue element to yield to a limited extent.

Thus, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3 of the draw.- ings, each of the hinge sections I8 and I8 is provided with respective elongated slots and 32 which preferably extend in a direction parallel to the axis of rotation of the hinge members along a line substantially corresponding to the line of junction of the tongues with the constituent adjacent body portions of the hinge sections. It will be readily understood that each tongue, when subjected to a force applied at the outer end thereof seeking to flex the tongue outwardly, acts as a lever for warping or bending those portions of the hinge section included between the extremities of the respective elongated slots. By selecting these slotsof a proper length the warping or bending effect may be increased sufficiently to allow for a desired displacement of the tongues without these latter members actually bending throughout their own length. Such a warped or bending eifect has been dagrammatically suggested in a somewhat exaggerated form in Fig. 9 of the drawings wherein it will be observed that the hin-ge section I6 along those portions included between the elongated slots and adjoining a tongue 26 is raised up out of its normal plane to a limited extent. It will also be apparent that the remaining hinge section may also flex to a limited extent and in the opposite direction, both of which displacements have been further illustrated in Fig. 6 of the drawings.

A further important ,feature of the locking mechanism of the invention includes the design of the cam surfaces 26El and 28a with the cam projections 26b and 28h. Sloping sides extend away from each projection to furnish slidable engaging surfaces which allow the projections to gradually approach one another, come into a dead center position, and pass beyond a position of dead center into a yieldably locked position, as noted in Fig. 8. In passing through these positions the cam members make use of the sloping sides to positively and elliciently engage the cam surfaces over one another with a minimum amount of force and with a relatively small amount of displacement being necessary for the nal interlocked position to be arrived at. These cam surfaces, it will be seen, cooperate with the relieved portions of Ythe hinge ,section defined by the elongated slots and provide for relative movement of the tongues Without bending or Wearing appreoiably these elements. `The portion of the hinge defined by the slots 30 and the adjacent marginal edge of 4.the hinge plate forms in substance a torsion bar lwhich obviously is deflected during the camming of the associated hinged elements 26 and 28.

It will be readily apparent that Vthe tongue elements with their cam surfaces, together with the elongated slots 30, are so chosen and constructed With reference to one another that a single forming operation may vbe resorted to, employing a single forming tool which thus greatly simplifies the manufacture of these devices and obviously reduces the `cost of manufacture as well as avoiding the likelihood of errors and imperfections.

I may desire to modify the arrangement of the hinge sections in certain respects, as illustrative of which there has been shown a pair of hinge sections 40 and 42 having tongues denoted by numeral 44 which are similarly provided with cam surfaces and which may be moved into interlocking relationship in the manner shown. It will be seen that in this modification the door jamb l0 can be recessed to form an opening .48 at one side of the closed hinge sections into which the interlocked tongues 44 may extend in a closed position of the door.

It may also `be desired to alter the hinge con struction by directing or forming the elongated slots in a different manner, as by allowing them to extend transversely, or in other ways, whereby the included portions of the hinge section may be twisted or warped out of its plane.

While I have herein shown preferred embocli-Pv ments of the invention, it will be understood that changes and further modifications may 'be resorted to in keeping with the spirit of the invention as defined by the appended claim. This application is a continuation-impart of application Ser. No. 778,389, filed October 7, 1947, is sued as Pat. No. 2,526,209.

Having thus described my invention, what I desire to claim as new is:

A self-locking hinge including a pair of plates pivotally connected together along adjacent marginal longitudinal edge portions, transversely extending tongues struck lfrom each of said plates and deflected outwardly, the base of the tongues lying parallel to said hinged edge portions and the free ends of said tongues being deformed to provide coacting cam faces, and elongated slots extending from each side of said tongues and parallel to the hinged edge portions and at the junction of said tongues and plates, to provide a torsion bar capable of deflection with said tongues during their camming operation.

PAUL H. DURUP.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

Number 6 UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Gen Apr. 20, 1909 Zobel Oct. 13, 1914 Knuth Apr. 18, 1922 Thorne July 4, 1922 Borchert Dec. 4, 1928 Steele Jan. 31, 1933 Klingberg Feb. 25, 1941 

